Pope Francis

Natacha Pisarenko/Associated Press

Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina was elected pope on March 13, 2013, at the age of 76. The 266th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church, he is the first Jesuit and the first to take the name Francis. He is also the first non-European leader of the church in more than 1,200 years.

News about Pope Francis, including commentary and archival articles published in The New York Times.

Chronology of Coverage

Jul. 29, 2015

Gay and transgender Catholics send formal letter to Pope Francis, requesting that he meet with them during his first visit to United States; argue that church faces 'pastoral crisis' over gay issues and will urge Francis to fully include members of gay and transgender communities in the church. MORE

Jul. 23, 2015

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, during visit to Vatican, describes evolution of his opinions on institutionalized religion; says Catholic Church, of which he was once highly critical, has become 'center of progressive thought' under Pope Francis. MORE

Jul. 22, 2015

About 60 mayors from around the world gathered at Vatican City for conference on fighting modern slavery pledge to join Pope Francis in combating global warming, which Francis sees as inextricably linked with social issues; event represents first time Vatican has invited local officials to talks on climate change, in hopes of mobilizing grassroots action. MORE

Jul. 22, 2015

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio attends climate change conference at Vatican; praises Pope Francis for expressing urgency on environmental concerns and for resisting corporate interests. MORE

Jul. 20, 2015

Francis will become first Pope to address joint session of Congress in September, but visit threatens to highlight growing ideological tensions between pontiff and Republican party; visit is celebrated by Speaker John A Boehner, who is Catholic, but Francis has increasingly staked out positions that are at odds with Boehner's, including campaign against evils of capitalism, advocacy about global warming and enthusiastic support for nuclear deal with Iran. MORE

Jul. 14, 2015

Pope Francis, speaking to reporters aboard papal jet on return from Latin American visit, admits to having omitted mention of middle class in his focus on growing global income inequality and says he must give thought to matter; answers other questions regarding trip. MORE

Jul. 13, 2015

News Analysis; many are disappointed by Pope Francis' ambiguous remarks on issues like gay rights, killings over land disputes and persistence of widespread economic inequality during his eight-day visit to South America. MORE

Jul. 12, 2015

Pope Francis, speaking in Paraguay during Latin American tour, points out two important episodes in country's history as examples of its resilience; also urges Paraguayans to battle corruption. MORE

Jul. 12, 2015

Pope Francis, during trip to Latin America, returns to his past critiques of capitalism, which he argues is one root of global injustice and primary cause of global warming; in several fiery speeches, appears to be calling for left-wing social revolution. MORE

Jul. 10, 2015

Pope Francis, visiting Bolivia as part of his South American tour, issues direct apology for Roman Catholic Church’s role in Latin American oppression during colonial era MORE

Jul. 8, 2015

Pope Francis addresses exploitation of Amazon rain forest during his visit to Ecuador, in implicit rebuke of economic and environmental policies of Pres Rafael Correa; statements were expected, following environmental encyclical released worldwide in June that discussed climate change as a social issue and linked environmental destruction to plight of poor. MORE

Jul. 7, 2015

Pope Francis, on first day of his Latin American tour, gives speech on family life to crowd of hundreds of thousands of followers in Guayaquil, Ecuador; he alludes to church's relations with gays and the divorced, but seems to take accommodating stance as he discusses importance of inclusion in family life. MORE

Jul. 6, 2015

Pope Francis arrives in Ecuador to begin tour of Latin America, returning to his native region to spread message of a church in transformation; visit to area, which contains several poor but environmentally rich countries, is especially significant in light of Francis's encyclical on the global environment. MORE

Jul. 5, 2015

Pope Francis's trip to South America will pose test of whether his papacy will increase number of Roman Catholic parishioners on the continent and whether he can retain them; Francis's selection was in part acknowledgement of how important Latin America, which contains 40 percent of world's Catholics, is to church's future; Francis's focus on poor also helps increase his appeal in developing world, which is also important for church. MORE

Jul. 4, 2015

Visit to Ecuador by Pope Francis is being seized upon by both Pres Rafael Correa's government and protesters calling for his ouster to spread their messages; protesters have filled streets of country's largest cities in largest demonstrations country has seen in years. MORE

Jul. 1, 2015

Vatican releases itinerary for Pope Francis' first visit to United States; reveals pope will visit homeless center in Washington, school in East Harlem and prison in Philadelphia; will also address Congress, raising prospect that he may weigh in on issues facing US, like prison reform, consequences of capitalism and the environment. MORE

Jun. 29, 2015

Members of environmental and religious organizations march to Pope Francis' weekly Sunday address in St Peter's Square to thank him for his encyclical, strongly worded address on climate change; many hope encyclical will influence world leaders to reach binding comprehensive global accord on greenhouse gas emissions at December 2015 United Nations summit meeting on climate change. MORE

Jun. 23, 2015

David Brooks Op-Ed column expresses general disappointment with Pope Francis's encyclical devoted to environment, particularly with relentless negativity directed at institutions in which people strive for political or economic gain. MORE

Jun. 22, 2015

Few priests or bishops around world use Sunday sermons to address issue of global warming following release of Pope Francis' encyclical on subject; many clergy members have expressed support for Francis's message, but it remains to be seen whether they will pass message on to their congregations. MORE

Jun. 21, 2015

Encyclical issued by Pope Francis punctuates growing conviction among religious people worldwide that environmental and humanitarian issues represent single, morally urgent problem; shift in thinking has been decades in making, and extends across religious spectrum, with many groups finding scriptural basis for their concerns about global warming and other environmental issues; could lead to historic dialogue between religion and science. MORE

Jun. 21, 2015

Ross Douthat Op-Ed column suggests that controlling theme of Pope Francis's new encyclical is that world is on path toward catastrophe; cautions against reading encyclical in way that makes it solely about climate change. MORE

Jun. 20, 2015

Op-Ed article by Prof Joseph Heath criticizes Pope Francis' objection to economic measures and carbon trading as means of combating global warming; notes Francis' call for moral response to environmental degradation, and holds economic measures are moral in that they place burden of resource abuse on those most guilty of it; contends Francis' version of morality, in keeping with his Catholic faith, is too narrow. MORE

Jun. 19, 2015

Pope Francis sets off uproar over his document on environment and peril of climate change, with industrialists, politicians and critics once again saying he should stick with religion and not make fuss in areas where he lacks competence; Francis is following in footsteps of popes and bishops who have penned documents on social problems by applying religious teaching to current events. MORE

Jun. 19, 2015

Pope Francis releases his encyclical on the environment, in which he blames reckless pursuit of profits, excessive faith in technology and political shortsightedness for environmental degradation and climate change. MORE

Jun. 19, 2015

Environmental scientists agree with Pope Francis' encyclical on the environment, in which he says humans are causing potentially catastrophic climate change via greenhouse gas emissions. MORE

Jun. 19, 2015

Pope Francis' encyclical on the environment calls for swift action to curb burning of fossil guels and also condemns carbon trading, policy most widely adopted by governments to combat climate change. MORE

Jun. 19, 2015

Pope Francis' encyclical on the environment is likely to further push big institutions to sell holdings tied to fossil-fuel stocks, blessing for divestment activists. MORE

Jun. 19, 2015

Editorial applauds encyclical on global warming, titled Laudato Si, issued by Pope Francis; expresses hope that statement, in appealing to people's morality, may be more effective in bringing about change than facts, which have so far failed to do so; laments that encyclical is unlikely to move American politicians. MORE

Jun. 17, 2015

Pope Francis' anticipated encyclical on global warming is likely to put pressure on several Catholic Republican presidential candidates who have expressed skepticism that human activity is driving climate change; many Catholic clergy members across United States are promoting Francis' message, inviting response from Catholic candidates Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio, Rick Santorum, Bobby Jindal and Chris Christie. MORE

Jun. 17, 2015

Leak of Pope Francis' message on environment creates tension in Vatican, among both staff members and reporters, who criticized others for breaking promise not to publish before release of final document. MORE

Jun. 16, 2015

Leaked draft of papal encyclical on environment has Pope Francis calling for swift action on climate change by people of all religions; includes references to scientific evidence and touches on familiar themes regarding inequality and anti-consumerism. MORE

Jun. 14, 2015

Pope Francis prepares to release his first major encyclical on theme of the environment and the poor, seeking to emphasize moral dimension of global warming and other issues that have largely been debated in secular context; message will be delivered to more than billion Catholics worldwide, and could put church at forefront of nascent coalition between religion and science. MORE

Jun. 14, 2015

Pope Francis is expected to release papal encyclical that will make case that climate change is increasing suffering of poor around world, but Catholic Church leaders are wary of message in United States, where topic of global warming is controversial; American Catholics are largely more conservative than Francis on number of issues. MORE

Jun. 11, 2015

Pope Francis has taken unprecedented step of approving establishment of Vatican tribunal to judge bishops who have been accused of covering up cases of sexual abuse of children by priests, or of failing to take action; mechanism for judging bishops was one of main priorities suggested by papal commission on sexual abuse created by Francis. MORE

Jun. 11, 2015

Russia's Pres Vladimir V Putin meets privately with Pope Francis at Vatican, where he is urged to comply with Minsk accords for Ukrainian peace; Putin's second audience with the pontiff in 18 months underscores Russian leader's comfort zone in Italy despite European Union's united effort to sanction and isolate him. MORE

Jun. 7, 2015

Pope Francis, during visit to Bosnia, calls for religious reconciliation and end to sectarian conflicts, both in that country and around world. MORE

May. 24, 2015

Pope Francis's approval of martyrdom status for murdered Salvadoran Archbishop Oscar Romero signals that Roman Catholic Church's allegiance is to the poor; focus revives liberation theology, movement once reviled as Marxist, that once sharply divided Catholics and was distrusted by his predecessors. MORE

May. 23, 2015

El Salvador is celebrating beatification of Roman Catholic Archbishop Oscar Romero, who was assassinated in San Salvador in 1980; Pope Francis's decision to declare Romero a martyr has been seen by many in country as reaffirmation of their long-held belief in his deep pastoral commitment. MORE

May. 22, 2015

Brazilian investment firm First plans to raise largest impact investing fund in country, backed by $7 million from Oblate International Pastoral Investment Trust, which was established by international order of Roman Catholic Church; investment points to growing interest among Catholic groups in using capitalism to address issue of inequality, as recommended by Pope Francis. MORE

May. 19, 2015

Diplomatic Memo; controversy arises over which verb Pope Francis used in whispered comment to Palestinian Authority Pres Mahmoud Abbas during meeting at Vatican; some interpret statement as 'you are an angel of peace,' while others contend it was 'may you be an angel of peace'; Vatican does not offer clarification and Israel makes no official comment. MORE

May. 18, 2015

Pope Francis canonizes Sister Mariam Baouardy and Sister Marie Alphonsine Ghattas, two 19th-century nuns from Ottoman-ruled Palestine; move is seen as bid of support for Palestine sovereignty, as well as means of encouraging both Middle Eastern Christians and women. MORE

May. 15, 2015

Representatives of Leadership Conference of Women Religious, which encompasses some 80 percent of American nuns, describe three years of closed-door negotiations with Archbishop J Peter Sartain that resulted in joint report and reconciliation; sisters say they were surprised to find in Sartain, and through him Pope Francis, a sympathetic partner who addressed their concerns and their acute sense of betrayal after Vatican reprimanded them in 2012. MORE

May. 15, 2015

Timothy Egan Op-Ed column singles out Pope Francis's ability to express joy as his most attractive quality, and the reason behind his worldwide popularity. MORE

May. 14, 2015

Vatican announces plans to sign treaty dealing with its interest in West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza that includes recognition of 'state of Palestine'; Palestinian leaders hail Pope Francis's endorsement as particularly important due to his international stature and fact that Catholic Church represents hundreds of millions of Christians; recognition comes as blow to Israel, as nation has had its commitment to two-state solution questioned by other world leaders. MORE

May. 11, 2015

Cuban Pres Raul Castro, during visit to Vatican, praises Pope Francis' role in encouraging renewed relations between United States and Cuba; says is been inspired to return to Roman Catholic Church. MORE

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July 14, 2015, Tuesday

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Officials from organizations representing lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Catholics requested a meeting with Pope Francis, saying that their members have felt a resurgence of hope for full acceptance in the church.